London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jul 21, 2025

Keir Starmer unveils Labour's five missions for the country

Keir Starmer unveils Labour's five missions for the country

Sir Keir Starmer has outlined the five "missions" he will put at the centre of his party's offer to voters at the next election, in a speech in Manchester.

He vowed to make the UK the fastest-growing major economy by the end of a first Labour term in government.

Making the country a "clean energy superpower" and cutting health inequalities will be other key priorities if the party wins power.

The Labour leader claimed his plan would give Britain "its future back".

The speech was an attempt by Sir Keir to convince voters Labour are a viable alternative government.

It was light on policy details - these are promised later in the year.

But it was striking that the Labour leader spoke about a "decade of renewal", hinting that he was already looking to a second term in government.

Pressed about this by journalists, he said he wanted to be "humble" and not take victory for granted, but the problems he had identified could not be fixed within five years.

Labour has a lead of around 20% over the Conservatives in opinion polls, suggesting the party is on course to win the general election which is likely to be held next year.

The five missions, which Sir Keir said would form "the backbone of the Labour manifesto and the pillars of the next Labour government", include:

* Securing the "highest sustained growth" in the G7 group of rich nations, made up of the UK, US, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and Japan, by the end of Labour's first term

* Making Britain a '"clean energy superpower", removing fossil fuels from all of Britain's electricity generation by 2030

* Improving the NHS

* Reforming the justice system

* Raising education standards

The Labour leader's next speech, expected on Monday, will cover the economy and include what is described as a "round table" with some business leaders.

He confirmed he would back the hike in corporation tax - from 19% to 25% - coming in April, adding that businesses were more concerned about a lack of stability than the tax rise.


'Sticking plaster'


Critics on the left of Sir Keir's own party and within the Conservatives point out how he has shifted a long way in just a few years.

He has junked a lot of left-wing policies that got him elected as Labour leader and is now embracing language it is possible to imagine Tony Blair using.

Strategically, that may be sensible to try to woo former Conservative voters, but it leaves him vulnerable to people suggesting it is unclear what he really believes and stands for.

Addressing his audience on Thursday morning, Sir Keir said his "mission-driven government" would "restore our ambition, raise our sights above the quick fixes, the pandering to the noisy crowd, the short-termism that will only ever provide the sticking plaster".

He argued that Britain was being held back by "cynicism" and "short-term obsessions".

"We lurch from crisis to crisis, always reacting, always behind the curve," he told supporters.

In a continuation of his bid to broaden the party's appeal to voters, Sir Keir said his approach to the economy would be neither "state control" nor "pure free markets".

"I'm not concerned about whether investment or expertise comes from the public or private sector - I just want to get the job done," he said.


'Vapid missions'


Conservative Party chairman Greg Hands said the Labour leader would "say anything if the politics of that moment suit him".

"He lacks principles and has no new ideas - and that is how we know a Starmer Labour government would just revert to the same old Labour habits of spending too much, raising taxes, increasing debt and soft sentences."

The left-wing campaign group Momentum attacked Sir Keir for abandoning promises he made when running for Labour leader in 2020. including introducing common ownership of energy, water and rail.

"These policies are more vital and popular now than ever - yet today, his promises lie in tatters, ditched in favour of the reheated Third-Way Blairism typified by these latest, vapid 'missions'," a spokesman said.

Sir Keir argued that "the vast majority" of Labour members supported him.

In a new year speech last month, Rishi Sunak set out his own five goals for his premiership, which, like those set out by Sir Keir, included growing the economy.

He also promised to halve inflation this year, ensure the UK's debt is falling, cut NHS waiting lists, and pass new laws to stop small boat crossings.

Some economists think inflation might already have peaked and the Bank of England has predicted it will fall midway through this year, so the prime minister is likely to meet his inflation target.

However, pledges on the NHS and small boat crossings may prove harder to achieve.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
Microsoft, US Lab to Use AI for Faster Nuclear Plant Licensing
Trump Walks Back Talk of Firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell
Zelensky Reshuffles Cabinet to Win Support at Home and in Washington
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Irish Tech Worker Detained 100 days by US Authorities for Overstaying Visa
Dimon Warns on Fed Independence as Trump Administration Eyes Powell’s Succession
Church of England Removes 1991 Sexuality Guidelines from Clergy Selection
Superman Franchise Achieves Success with Latest Release
Hungary's Viktor Orban Rejects Agreements on Illegal Migration
Jeff Bezos Considers Purchasing Condé Nast as a Wedding Gift
Ghislaine Maxwell Says She’s Ready to Testify Before Congress on Epstein’s Criminal Empire
Bal des Pompiers: A Celebration of Community and Firefighter Culture in France
FBI Chief Kash Patel Denies Resignation Speculations Amid Epstein List Controversy
Air India Pilot’s Mental Health Records Under Scrutiny
Google Secures Windsurf AI Coding Team in $2.4 Billion Licence Deal
Jamie Dimon Warns Europe Is Losing Global Competitiveness and Flags Market Complacency
South African Police Minister Suspended Amid Organised Crime Allegations
Nvidia CEO Claims Chinese Military Reluctance to Use US AI Technology
Hong Kong Advances Digital Asset Strategy to Address Economic Challenges
Australia Rules Out Pre‑commitment of Troops, Reinforces Defence Posture Amid US‑China Tensions
Martha Wells Says Humanity Still Far from True Artificial Intelligence
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
U.S. Resumes Deportations to Third Countries After Supreme Court Ruling
Excavation Begins at Site of Mass Grave for Children at Former Irish Institution
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
EU Delays Retaliatory Tariffs Amid New U.S. Threats on Imports
Trump Defends Attorney General Pam Bondi Amid Epstein Memo Backlash
Renault Shares Drop as CEO Luca de Meo Announces Departure Amid Reports of Move to Kering
Senior Aides for King Charles and Prince Harry Hold Secret Peace Summit
Anti‑Semitism ‘Normalised’ in Middle‑Class Britain, Says Commission Co‑Chair
King Charles Meets David Beckham at Chelsea Flower Show
If the Department is Really About Justice: Ghislaine Maxwell Should Be Freed Now
NYC Candidate Zohran Mamdani’s ‘Antifada’ Remarks Spark National Debate on Political Language and Economic Policy
×